Improved defense has Bills thinking playoffs

Buffalo Bills' Stevie Johnson (13) celebrates after catching a pass for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012 in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Bill Wippert)FR170745 AP

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The Bills are playing much better defense over the past month, and head coach Chan Gailey said there's a very simple explanation.

It doesn't have to do with personnel, Gailey said. The defense the Bills put on the field Sunday against Jacksonville was nearly identical to the one that surrendered 580 yards in a 52-28 loss to New England in Week 4, with the exception of injuries to Mark Anderson and Aaron Williams and the swap of Nigel Bradham at strong-side linebacker for Arthur Moats.

And Gailey said it's not just the competition, despite the fact that the Bills allowed a combined 1,201 yards and 97 points in back-to-back losses to the Patriots and San Francisco 49ers, playoff-bound teams with 17 wins between them.

Instead, Gailey said, the difference has been scheme, or, more precisely, the Bills' willingness to do their own jobs within coordinator Dave Wannstedt's 4-3 system and not attempt to freelance and do someone else's.

That lack of discipline, Gailey suggested after Sunday's 34-18 dismantling of the lowly Jaguars, contributed to the Bills allowing 234.5 rushing yards per game during a four-game stretch against the Patriots, 49ers, Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans. The Bills went 1-3 in those games.

Gailey said the Bills have played more physical, and more disciplined, defense over the past five games, in which they've allowed 86.4 rushing yards per game and held opponents to 290.6 total yards per game. They are 2-3 in those games, but in all five games they were within seven points of the lead in the fourth quarter.

"We've got some guys running downhill and everybody has been in the right spot," Gailey said. "We've got guys playing the cutback. We've got guys filling the front-side hole. Everybody is being a lot more consistent about filling the correct gap."

Not coincidentally, the defense has improved along with the health of its highest-paid player, defensive end Mario Williams. Since undergoing wrist surgery during the bye week on the heels of a 35-34 loss to Tennessee, Williams has steadily improved his play, and the play of his teammates has risen along with it.

On Sunday, Williams' strip-sack of Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne and subsequent recovery set up a field goal just before halftime that helped kick-start a 20-0 run that put the game out of reach.

After managing only 31/2 sacks in seven games prior to undergoing surgery, Williams has six in five games since.

"My wrist is healing, definitely," Williams said after Sunday's game. "Like I said, whenever I had the procedure and everybody was freaking out about it, I knew it was going to progress and not be stagnant.

"Obviously it's not going to be healed all the way until after the season, but it's definitely getting better and that's making me feel better."

It's making the Bills feel better about their season, too.

Several players insisted Sunday that they're not dwelling on the 3-6 start that has left them at 5-7 and on the outside of the AFC playoff race looking in.

"I'm not worried about a month ago," defensive tackle Kyle Williams said. "Obviously, yes, we wish this would have happened earlier and we could have played this well earlier, but the only thing I can control is what's in front of me."

What's in front of the Bills, specifically, are two teams -- Pittsburgh and Cincinnati -- who, at 7-5, hold a two-game lead over the three-team pack consisting of the Bills, New York Jets and Miami for the AFC's sixth playoff seed.

The Bills don't play the Steelers or Bengals, so they can't close the gap with head-to-head wins, although they can gain separation from the Dolphins and Jets by beating those teams on the final two weekends of the regular season.

"We knew we need help, obviously," wide receiver Stevie Johnson said. "But if we continue to do our job then our chances of being in the playoffs are more likely to happen."

And if they continue to play defense the way they have over the past month, that wouldn't hurt, either.

JOHN DUDLEY can be reached at 870-1677 or by e-mail. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNdudley.